Our story
Hi-D Imaging was incorporated in 2019 by Dr. Utku Gulan and Dr. Özge Karakas, colleagues at ETH at the time, to revolutionize medical image processing for cardiology. While conducting their postdoctoral research, the scientists decided to take a step forward to have a direct impact on the patients.
The name Hi-D /haɪ-di/ Imaging is originated from three meanings: representing our Swiss roots (the Swiss name, Heidi) where we offer high-resolution medical image processing results with Swiss precision, it is a nod to high dimensional (4-D) nature of our technology and speaks for a meaning of “come on let’s do this” (“haydi”) in the Turkish language, representing the energy, motivation, and resilience of the Hi-D Imaging team.
Our ultimate goal is to improve the operational outcomes by revolutionizing pre-operational planning in cardiology. We position ourselves as the world’s leading company in blood flow analysis and aim to improve the lives of as many patients as possible all around the world.
Best in our field
The success lies in the multi-disciplinary nature of the approach, combining state-of-the-art technologies such as fluid dynamics, computer vision, machine learning, 3D printing, and in-vitro imaging.
We are a multidisciplinary family. Our team is a great fusion of engineers, experimentalists, data analysts, and clinicians. We love what we do and dream to bring our novel technology to as many people as possible all around the world.
Leadership team
Dr. Utku Gülan
Co-founder, CEO
Management & Technology
Dr. Özge Karakaş
Co-founder, COO
Operations & Management
Prof. Dr. Stefan Toggweiler
Board Member
Clinical affairs
Laurent Grandidier
Board Member
Business Development
Advisory team
Dr. Maurizio Taramasso
Clinical Advisor
Interventional cardiology
Prof. Dr. Moritz Wyler
Clinical Advisor
Interventional cardiology
Product and Quality team
André Douverny
Product Design and Development Lead
Product Development
Anton Mohler
Machine Learning Engineer
Medical Image Processing
Dr. Sreenath Kyathanahally
Senior Deep Learning Engineer
Deep Learning, Computer Vision
Vidhya Lakshmanan
Requirements and Quality Engineer
Quality & Data
Ziya Imamoglu
Deep Learning Engineer
Deep Learning, Computer Vision
Micha Bischofberger
Machine Learning Engineer Intern
Machine Learning, Computer Vision
Timeline and Achievements
Method establishment and validation
- Dr. Utku Gulan Ph.D. thesis
- ETH medal awarded for outstanding thesis
- IFMBE young investigator award
- Bench validation of the technology for aorta
Feasibility and validation of different applications
- CHF 1.4M grant received from Swiss National Science Foundation
- Bench validation for the influence of aging on hemodynamics
- 14 scientific publications on high impact journals
- >100 citations
- Clinical and bench validation for the right heart (pulmonary and tricuspid valves)
Publications and validation
- Bench validation for transcatheter aortic, surgical, mechanical valves
- >150 citations
- CHF 200k grant received from different funds
- Two Nature publications on athlete’s heart and rare diseases
- 17 scientific publications in high impact journals
Company establishment
- Venture Kick phase I finalist
- Company incorporation
- The first pilot project signed with a medical company
- Ozge selected in the Venturelab’s 30 rising-star Swiss Women Entrepreneurs list in 2019
Awards and prizes
- Proof of concept study with a Swiss hospital
- ETH spin-off label received
- Tech tour finalist
- AIT India camp
- Top 2 innovation at World Congress of Cardiology
- Innosuisse Initial Coaching
- Venture Leaders South Africa
Revenues and awards
- Pilot project signed with a medical device manufacturer
- Innosuisse startup exchange program Israel
- Top 10 Swiss medtech companies to watch in 2020 (Venturelab)
- Project agreement signed with a medical device manufacturer
- Top 10 in ZKB pionierpreis
- Top 60 in De Vigier prize
- Top 30 rising-star Swiss Women Entrepreneurs
- Bilan Economy magazine top 50 startups to invest in 2020
Growing presence of Hi-D Imaging
- Project agreement signed with a medical device manufacturer
- Innosuisse core coaching program acceptance
- Mass Challenge Switzerland Accelerator finalist
- Swiss Innovation Challenge finalist
- Seif Impact academy program acceptance
- Tech Tour Germany participant